The most important thing to consider is a good healthy treat. One with all natural organic ingredients….including gluten free flour, no eggs, no dairy, etc.
Dogs like humans can have allergies and reactions to the normal ‘store bought’ food and treats made with preservatives, fillers, chemicals, etc.
I make fresh ‘baked to order’ dog treats with all natural organic ingredients.
Check them out at Etsy……Tail Waggin Dog Treats.
Thank you everyone for all the advice! He is still eating the same Taste of the Wild right now, while working to finish off this bag. I’m almost 100% sure he’s not allergic to chicken or rice because that is what I fed him when he had diarrhea and he was fine, also I have boiled unseasoned chicken to use as treats/meal topper and he is fine with that as well. He doesn’t have any darkened spots or stinky breath/ears so I don’t think it’s a yeast issue. He is generally a stinky dog and gets a bath about once a month with Oatmeal shampoo which helps.
and Susan and CockalierMom, maybe you guys are right, maybe it is his bowl. Maybe I should try a ceramic bowl. It’s always after he eats he goes for his mouth and then starts scratching his ears and licking his knees/thighs. No hair loss and it’s not excessive, just noticeable because it’s always at the same time. It never seems to be after eating any treats or anything, and I did watch him scratch after drinking water from a stainless steel bowl at training as well so maybe I should switch just to be safe.
The fermentation process makes kefir virtually lactose free, so it should be safe for dogs even if the dog is lacose intolerant.
If you are going to give it to your dog, I would suggest making it yourself, because the kefir found in grocery stores is loaded with sugar. I’ve found the grains from Fusion Teas in Texas to be quite good. They are organic, healthy looking grains. You can buy them on Amazon. Stay away from dehydrated grains. They are a complete pain because they’ll waste tons of milk trying to get them up to par and they’ll never look quite as good as Fusions’ grains.
I’ve been giving it to my dogs for about a year now. My Rat Terrier had been on prednisone for years for environmental allergies, and I was finally able to take her off it, because it cleared up almost all of them (but not ragweed). I also found it improved her arthritis symptoms and her GI issues (had problems with frequent diarrhea). She ate it readily. The only reason I do not still give it to her was due to recently euthanizing her for a bladder tumor; she was 16-years old. Tends to happen to terriers more often than not in their later years.
I still give it to two of my other dogs. One eats it readily, but I have to coax the other one to eat it. I find that putting a little cheese in it is a great incentive. Get one that sticks to the plate and then put a little kefir on top of it. It forces mine to lick ferociously in order to dislodge the cheese, so the kefir gets eaten in the process.
I will give you this warning: Be careful about giving it to dogs on an immuno-suppressant (e.g. prednisone). It can cause the bacteria to run wild in their system. I gradually weaned mine off of hers, giving her the prednisone every other day and a teaspoon of kefir on the off days. If her bowels got too loose and began to get an ammonia smell (the smell is an indicator of too much), I’d cut it back or didn’t give it too her for a few days. Once I got her off the prednisone, I found it was no longer a problem.
I have a 12 year old German Shepard/Lab mix who is allergic to wheat and chicken. We’ve been feeding him NurtoSource for a couple of years now, mixed with wet food. Up until recently he’s always been a hardy eater. But lately he’s been turning his nose up at his kibble. He’ll still eat the wet food, cooked veggie and rice, and likes to chew on toys and raw hides, so I don’t think its a lack of appetite issue or a problem with his teeth. Has anyone else run into an issue like this before? My vet doesn’t even know what to make of it.
Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural approach to environmental allergies, it is also now available sublingual, so you don’t have to give “allergy shots”.
Only a specialist (veterinarian) that has examined, tested and diagnosed your dog can advise you accordingly. Otherwise, people are just offering opinions, not to be mistaken for veterinary medical advice.
A lot of times dogs are diagnosed with allergies when really what they have is Candida. Does your dog have rust-colored spots on the feet, under arms, and around the genitals? Does he/she have bad breath? If so, you likely have Candida (yeast) as AT LEAST a contributing factor.
Stay away from chicken & rice. Rice will just feed the yeast & chicken often has enough antibiotics in the meat to kill off good bacteria. A lot of dogs have trouble eating chicken.
Feed complex carbs, raw veggies like carrots, broccoli, and green beans. Stay away from potatoes, sweet potatoes (more starch = more sugar = more yeast).
Pork is a good alternative to chicken. If you’re going to feed a commercial dog food, find one that is fish-based and has fewer fillers (like corn & other starchy things). Try to find a dog food that does NOT use salmon as it is usually farm-raised & not as healthy as wild-caught fish. Foods using menhaden fish is good because it is always wild-caught & it’s a renewable resource.
If you suspect your dog has Candida – or the vet agrees that he/she does – shout back at me here. I can give you some pointers from my own yeast battle experience. And try to discourage antibiotics or long-term allergy shot regimens.
Hi Marilyn-
The yeast that lives on the skin is Malassezia, not Candida. It is being created by your dogs allergies as they weaken the immune system and make his system unable to control the yeast that naturally lives on the skin. As anon101 said, environmental type allergies can not be cured, simply managed. I would discuss some bathing regimes with your vet and/or specialist and also ask about medications like Apoquel that can help manage the symptoms.
Tonk is my first pit and he was given to us when my friend passed away recently. He is 8 years old he is a white pit. Sweetest boy ever, he thinks he’s a puppy and likes to take over my bed at night. The problem I am having is he is chewing on his back by his tail real bad, to the point it bleeds. Is there something I can do for him to help. I thought he might of been allergic to my laundry soap, I changed that to dreft. I have tried different foods, different shampoos, but nothing seems to be helping.
Have you looked into allergen specific immunotherapy? Has the dog had intra dermal skin testing done by a veterinary dermatologist?
Steroids and such are necessary for brief periods of time to stop the suffering and prevent infection.
Environmental allergies are complicated, they don’t go away, there is no cure. There is effective treatment, but, the expertise of a specialist is often required. The treatment is lifelong.
I went through it with a dog, the only thing that worked was allergen specific immunotherapy, it is the most natural approach.
Stop looking for miracle cures, there are none.
Yes, he’s had blood & skin tests to determine hus allergies. My vet just keeps wanting to put him on steroids. He’s been on them a couple of times and they helped but I don’t want to use them. Being as he keeps getting yeast infections in his ears and feet I’m assuminibg it’s Candida. There are Candida cleanses for humans, not for dogs???
Have you consulted a veterinary dermatologist? That is where I would start.
Per the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/
I have a Golden Retriever with allergies to grasses, weeds, molds, dust mites. He has cronic yeast infection in his ears and feet. I want to know how to get rid of candida in a dog.
At times our dogs mouth are would get red if her allergies were active but mostly she’d lick open area on her skin & her fur thinned out. A simple blood test can tell you what your dog is allergic to. I don’t remember the cost but it was not an outrageous cost that I’d have remembered it. Living in a rural area, we did not have access to a veterinarry dermatologist. We did take our dog for allergy shots but eventually Just managed them through her diet. She did have environmental allergies too but when they were bad, she’d manage he time outdoors herself. Two important things to remember are: even though you may find a certain food that is working, you need to read the ingredients list on the bag every time. The companies sometimes change their formulas & the only ways you’ll know is by reading the bag, or by your dogs allergies flare up. Also, our dog was not diagnosed as being allergic to peas but the current trend is to add peas to the dog foods. I have read that a lot of the peas are imported from China and the chemicals used as pesticides & preserves are not good for your dog. Our dog definitely had reactions to formulas with peas in them. The blood test our dog had for allergies told us that in addition to various environmental allergies she was allergic to potatoes, peanuts, & soy beans. The test was accurate enough to make a significant difference in eliminating reactions & keep her comfortable. Good luck!
Another previous post:
What you describe sounds like environmental allergies, food would have little impact, if any, on this condition.
I would continue to work with your veterinarian, however, for best results, I would go to a specialist, a veterinary dermatologist.
Have you tried the search engine here? This subject comes up frequently.
Example: /forums/topic/irritated-skin-food-allergy/
/forums/topic/dog-chewing-nails-till-they-bleed/
āFood allergies are rare. Food sensitivities tend to result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea. Environmental allergies tend to show up as pruritus, ear infections and suchā.
āYou could try a limited ingredient grain free food. My dog does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea. Wipe down her feet with water and gently dry when she comes in from outdoorsā.
āBathe her using a gentle shampoo, I use Malaseb (see chewy dot com).
I tried all kinds of things times 1 year (including going back and forth to the veterinarian), but, did not get results till I took her to a dermatologist for testing. Allergen specific immunotherapy worked in her caseā.
Unfortunately, steroids and such are often necessary (for brief periods) to stop the suffering and prevent infection.
Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural treatment.
Also, I have heard that some dogs do well on apoquel, you may want to consider staying with that, talk to your vet.
I would encourage you to make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist. It may be seasonal, it may be mild, or not. Only testing by a specialist can give you answers and a treatment plan.
Per the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/
Saliva and hair mail-in tests are not allergy tests.
āAtopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environmentā.
āThere are two types of allergy tests, the intradermal allergy test and blood testing for allergies (serologic allergy testing). In an intradermal allergy test, the fur is clipped on one side of the chest and very small amounts of common allergens are injected into the skin. This test is very precise and is only performed by Veterinary Dermatology services. Because most pets with environmental allergies become exposed to their allergens through their skin, the intradermal allergy test may also best simulate a petās natural allergies. In a blood allergy test, a blood sample is obtained and submitted to a laboratory for testingā.
āIf a pet is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, there are three methods of therapy. The first method of therapy involves removing the allergen from the petās environmentā. āUnfortunately, this is not possible in most cases. The second method of therapy involves the use of anti-itch drugs such as anti-histamines or steroids (cortisone). Some of these anti-itch medications do not work in every pet. Other pets develop side-effects from taking certain anti-itch medicationsā.
āThe third method of therapy for atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) is allergy injections. Other names for allergy injections include desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccine, or allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections of diluted allergens. Over time, these injections make a pet less sensitive to their allergens and thus less allergic. Most pet owners are able to learn how to give the injections at home. When based on the results of intradermal allergy testing, immunotherapy helps manage the allergies in approximately 70-90% of pets. Most pets will respond to immunotherapy within 6-9 months, but some pets will require up to a year of immunotherapy injections before a full benefit can be notedā.
http://www.mspca.org/vet-services/angell-boston/dermatology/boston-dematology-allergies.html
Hello everyone!
I adopted my first dog, Beast, in October. He is a 1 year old Cattle Dog mix.
We noticed pretty much right away that he is always scratching his mouth/ears after eating his breakfast. He doesn’t have any hives or hair loss or anything like that. Just always itching his mouth (it looks like he is trying to get something out of his teeth but theres never anything there) and itching his ears after eating. He also seems to have lots of eye boogies.
We completely eliminated poultry and potatoes(white and sweet) from his diet but he seems to still be doing it. Right now he is eating Taste of the Wild Southwest Canyon so I’m wondering if it’s a sensitivity to peas.
At the same time I’m not sure if it even is an allergy. We’ve discussed it with his Vet who has been understanding of us switching his food, and suggested Benadryl for possible environmental allergies, but that seemed to make it worse so we stopped.
His previous owners were feeding him chicken and rice, so I’m thinking I may put him on a chicken/rice based kibble if possible. Or a lamb/rice since we haven’t given him lamb yet. What do you guys think? Everything I’ve heard for allergies have been red/swollen skin, hair loss, diarrhea, vomiting, etc. and he doesn’t seem to have that. Could it just be mild allergies or am I just being a crazy dog mom?
Hi Susie, yes Patch was also licking & licking his front paws after eating, I forgot about that, when I first got him he had skin problems, food sensitivities & environment allergies & was put on vet diet Royal Canin HP, the fat was really high at 19% & only 18% protein, then he got real bad acid reflux but I didn’t know back then what was wrong with him, his first vet was an idiot, Patch started wrecking his toys, shaking, chewing & ripping them, then a new vet said sounds like he’s in pain & Patch ended up with Pancreatitis from the vet diet R/C was too high in fat, 1 yr later we thought he had stomach ulcers he was still having acid reflux, chewing, ripping toys & whining while lying on his stomach & hungry 24/7, so I had an Endoscope & Biopsies done, when I picked Patch up from vets, vet said stomach looked really good & there’s no ulcers, I said but we still have the 2 biopsies, when will the results be back, I bet it’s Helicobacter-Pylori, I’ve had the Helicobacter-Pylori bacteria a few times & you feel so hungry 24/7 when the acid gnaws at your stomach, so you keep wanting to eat to take away the burning pain but 20mins after eating your in pain again with bad acid burning & gnawing in your stomach….& I was soaking Patches vet diet for IBD in water cause he’s a gulper with food & was gulping his kibble in 5-10 seconds, vet said just add water to his kibble, again I didn’t know until I read an article a few years ago around the same time those new stop gulping food bowls started coming out, the article said, why adding water with kibble can be a bad thing, especially if the kibble hasn’t soften yet, the dog gulps up the water & gulps air trying to get to his dry kibbles….years ago they were saying add water to your dogs kibble it was suppose to slow dogs eating down that gulped their food….then I was softening all his kibbles & draining all the water out as much as I could & making it like wet tin food with his dry vet diet.. I just knew something wasn’t right after Patch ate the kibble with water, he was burping, farting whinging after eating, he got worse….Those go slow food bowls didn’t work either for Patch he couldn’t get the small kibbles out cause of his big fat snout, then he was gulping air again trying to lick up the little kibbles, so now I just add a few kibbles at a time to his normal stainless steel bowl & tell him to chew, then when he’s has chewed all the kibbles I add more kibbles to his bowl & his bowl is on a stand level with his stomach…
It’s taken me 3-4 yrs to finally find foods that work, stop him itching, licking, whinging & have no acid reflux, that Helicobacter is very hard to kill, high fiber diets are no good, you need low carb, low fiber diets & no sugar diets, the fat can be around 15%max & no fish/salmon oil in food but all dogs are different it all depends on your dog…..
Try the food I mentioned on my previous answers. My buddy has an 8 year old dog that developed severe allergies after being on his food for 5 years. I recommended this food and huge difference allergies gone, more energy and nice solid poop. I had bought Orijen from Reily originally but after reading the horror stories I returned it. The associates at the pet store even said only use the bags from Canada but I think we ran out.
Before you throw out the food, I would make an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist and get the skin condition that your dog has diagnosed. I am assuming that you have not had positive results with the regular vet. Her symptoms may have nothing to do with the food. She sounds like she is suffering, have you used the search engine here to look up environmental allergies? At least take her to the regular vet (asap) and see what he recommends. Best of luck.
I tried it and it worked great – going to try the Acana Grasslands Regional. I tried the Orijen Regional Red and my lab’s ears turned bright red and he started chewing his feet again. I figured it was the beek since I read that beef can cause an allergic reaction in labs (Morgan, 2005). She advises beef, wheat, and corn which I deselected from your great list (I was already aware of the wheat and corn).
I used to feed raw, but now I feed canned only. For now it’s Wild Calling rotational diet Bison, alligator and rabbit. Wild calling is like 92% protein and no carbs. He eats sweet potato or yams and dehydrated pumpkin & cranberry by Diggin FirmUp on occasion. He’s not a fan of canned pumpkin. The doctor did a blood test to test for allergies and I did Dr Dods saliva test to test for food intolerances. He has many of both. Since I’ve made the changes he’s more willing to eat and less reflux. Also switch between Apple cider vinegar powder capsules and Zantac 150 mugs 2 times a day, ProPlan FortiFlora probiotics once a day. I feed him 3 times a day and a snack before bed. The empty stomach can make him throw up bile or or a white foam. Hope this helps. If you have any suggestions I’m all ears.
Hi Meagan yes Cytopoint was released 2016 & CADI was released 2015 both are made by Zoetis…..there’s a few people on the Dog issues, allergies and other information support F/B group that are having very good results with both products….one lady in group has just started the injections & asked is it normal for her dog he’s drinking more water ?? I don’t know, I control Patches skin allergies with weekly bathing in Malaseb & wipe him down with baby wipes after going on walks when the pollens are high & he’s done a lot of sniffing I always wipes around his snout & I don’t feed any of the foods he’s sensitive too for his food sensitivities…… Patch only has seasonal environment allergies & IBD he isn’t as bad as some poor dogs that have allergies all year round, he has a break thru the cooler months….
Our lab has allergies with skin issues as well. We had tried Zyrtec, Benadryl, Prednisone and Apoquel without significant success. Our vet recommended trying the Cytopoint injection. He had his first one about 5 weeks ago and his second injection yesterday. We were incredibly surprised with how much his itching, sneezing and licking improved after the first injection. There was a straight week where we didn’t hear him sneeze, which was unheard of before. He would often wake us up in the middle of the night with his sneezing and scratching his ears. Prior to starting the Cytopoint we would constantly find new wounds/skin problems on our dog. Since we started the injections, we haven’t noticed a single skin issue (knock on wood). We’re very pleased with our early results.
https://www.zoetisus.com/products/dogs/cytopoint/index.aspx
Hi!
I have a 12 y-o Golden w/no issues, and an 8 y-o mutt who has a very sensitive tummy. I have also been caring for my mom’s 11 y-o schnauzer mix who doesn’t seem to have digestive issues but she does have allergies. About 2 years ago I got a bag of 4Health that was moldy. The vendor exchanged the bag but I didn’t trust the food anymore and started making my own. THEN I got to where I didn’t have time to make my own anymore so I started doing research. I found a list of 15 companies who had never had a recall on BarkPost. It’s a list from 2014 (I think) but by the time I read it, 2 of those on the list had recalls. I contacted 7 of the companies from the list, never heard from one, got email coupons for up to $2 off from 5 companies, and got a nice email from VeRUS Pet Foods asking if I had any concerns about my dogs’ health, etc. so they could send me samples of their recommended dog food. They sent me free samples, they answered questions for me, and they won my undying devotion. My dogs are HEALTHY and they love this food.
I can be more specific about my mom’s dog because it has been more recent. She’s a little old lady dog for a little old lady. When she came to me, Greta pooped 4 to 6 times a day and they were occasionally just little pellet poops. After switching her to VeRUS, she poops twice a day, and they are good, solid, productive poops that have good color & aren’t soft or runny. Watching Greta’s poops for evidence of improvement on her new food has kind of turned me into a poop aficionado – gross, but… She has also become more energetic and bouncy.
I started feeding VeRUS about 2 years ago and they STILL haven’t had a recall. They’re an American company, kind of small, but they’re smart and they care. They even have a non-profit that benefits veterans & rescue dogs.
My dog has the following allergies and I am having a hard time finding an acceptable affordable dog food. He is allergic to:
Potatoes, rice, milk, barley, oats, pinto beans, wheat, beef, lamb, flaxseed, & yeast.
I was using Acana Pork & Squash Singles until the company changed its formula and added Pinto Beans. Even though it’s not one of the first five ingredients, my dog still reacted to it.
Any advice other than cooking for him would be greatly appreciated.
My dog has pea, oatmeal, n sweet potato allergy. I tested it with (DNA allergy tested kit). We’ve been pretty lucky with natural balance potato n duck formula and lamb meal n brown rice formula. Both has no three ingredients that my dog allergic to. Also, purina beyond (if u dont mind purina) simply 9 the chicken barley or lamb barley has none of those 3 ingredients that my dog allergic to as well. So hope this help. I know how hard it is to find food for dog that allergic to thos le ‘good’ ingredients. But it is what it is. Good luck!
Are these dog puppies or are they already grown?
I would skip the brown rice unless your dogs can’t handle a high protein diet.
I would rotate proteins. I prefer to feed my dog more red meat and chicken and turkey more as a treat.
I also prefer to add more organ meat and add tripe but you need to be careful with organ meat since you are already feeding your pups vitamins.
I like to rotate calcium sources too. Sometimes add ground shells, or ground bone, or calcium supplements. I also like to rotate veggies and supplements.
In short this is a good recipe for a short time but ideally the best recipes involve ROTATION of different sources of meat and fish (if your pup has no allergies) rotation of supplments..Maybe use some organic supplements, rotation of veggies, etc to prevent deficiencies.
Help! I have a Newfoundland, 170 pounds, 10 years old. Need food suggestion please š
Over the past few months he whimpers a bit while getting up after he’s been lying down for a few hours.
I’ve been on this website for several hours and I’m having a difficult time navigating and searching for an ideal food for him. Fyi – no allergies.
His name is Dewey. I love him with all my heart. I know and I knew when we brought him into our family that his breed does not have a very long life longevity. I want to feed him the best food I can afford and to make his last few years as comfortable and happy as possible for him. I don’t know why am having so much difficulty filtering through the reviews of the dry dog foods to find a 4.5 or 5.0 dry food for him, but I haven’t been able to do so. I’d greatly appreciate any help š 😓
I would go along with the lab work recommended including thyroid, let the vet diagnosis her.
Or find another vet, however, it is not unusual to suggest bloodwork, some vets would like it done once a year.
And what’s wrong with medication that has been prescribed by a veterinarian that has examined the dog, that’s intended to make the dog more comfortable?
The symptoms you describe could be any one of a number of things including allergies.
Regarding the food, again, I would see what the vet recommends. Adding supplements and vitamins seem unnecessary for a pup that young, plus they might upset her stomach more.
I would allow the vet to take further diagnostic tests, get the dog diagnosed, then you can go over your treatment options.
In the meantime I might presoak her kibble and start giving her the reglan as prescribed.
Also, if she hasn’t been spayed, she will be going into heat soon.
I have the same story as Kelly: 6 lb Parti Pom with collapsing trachea (taking Lomotil), hypothyroid (.1mg bid), seizures (Keppra 0.6 TID), knee issues, hair issues and she is diabetic getting 0.5U of N TID. She is on raw diet of meat, I mix in blender: 2 eggs with crushed shell, 1 can of green beans, 1 can pumpkin, 1 can of spinach, 1 banana, 10 blueberries, 1 tsp concentrated OJ, 1/2 Quinoa (Just added for fiber/protein). Garlic And anything else I have like broccoli/low cal high fiber, little or no sugar foods. Once a smoothe, she eats anything mixed in her meat. Her Frutosamines have been low and she went from 2U N to 0.5u but she still went into DKA with over 10000.00 ICU bill. We are not looking at frutosamine any more. I check her urine daily and if she has ketones, I add o.5u to her regimen. She is on it now after high ketone and high glucose reads last week. Her curve was done and she was in the 300s dropping to below 200 at noon and then back up to almost 400 at 5p. Her norm goal is to be under 250. We started her on the extra 0.5u and she is now maintaining 250-500 glucose and no ketones. I am told that she will always have 250 glucose but I get her to negative a lot. The good thing is that we avoided the ICU, the bad thing is that she has lost from 6lbs to 5.2lbs. I try and keep her just under 6lbs. Today she is 5.5lbs. She had been in the 8-9lb area when I started looking at her reasons and found all the above. (her seizures are from a fall down 22 steps, running out the door when a friend opened it to leave). I now feed her 1/4 raw (duck, rabbit, venison, quail-she is allergic to beef) at 6-7 am with insulin (her choice, definitely not mine), either goat milk (a tablespoon) or cottage cheese (a dab) with insulin at 1-2pm since she falls low then and again at 6-7 1/4 cup raw and at 9pm another snack and 0.5U of insulin…so today she is 250 glucose and no ketone urine dip. and has been relatively there for 3 days. I came here to see if there is anything else I can do for this little angel of 10.5 years. I think I will give her pumpkin for snacks, she is on a probiotic, 1/2 canine health and 1/4 tsp mangosteen as well as a small amount of milk thistle. She gets no rabies and her titer is high coverage (that is a total vet racket and kills off their internal organs and give seizures) and no other shots. I have pet protector which seems like voodoo but no one has had fleas the last 3 years so it works, I stopped fostering because she has become so protective of me, I can not work with the dogs in a healthy manner, she has a yorkie sibling that is on thyroid meds and stopped seizures after I fostered him and stopped all the shots/flea stuff. Any suggestions you have for weight gain (and anything else) I would be thankful,
-
This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by
Jean R.
Answers Pet Food (stated above) has whey in it. Whey is the liquid remaining after milk has been curdled and strained. Just FYI, it’s from milk. Butter is also listed as an ingredient.
ZiwiPeak air dried formulas of beef, lamb or venison is your best bet if you don’t want to mess with raw. As long as your pet isn’t allergic to mussels. It’s been known to reverse or stabilize diseases. Expensive but worth it.
Answers Pet food is wonderful even if you do not have those allergies… it has nothing in it that you mentioned. It is a very high quality raw dog food. It is a national dog food and you can check it out on the dogfoodadvisor.com page. It is all fermented and so good for the gut.. I think the best food on the market… kibble is not great.. it is processed. Even the best. Good luck. Elaine
I need a food that doesn’t contain any of the following; corn, flax, milk, oats, pea, pork, rabbit, rice, soybean, sweet potato, turkey, wheat grain, and white potato.
Any help would be appreciated.
Thank you
Zignature is what I feed my girl who is allergic to chicken
Jan, I had the same issue with my young golden retriever. She had giardia, was treated, and I also bought the panacur online at amazon for two additional treatments. It’s been awhile now so I don’t recall exact timeline, but I know she actually started having diarrhea AFTER the treatments. She had it for 2-3 months. I took her to the vet several times because I thought it was very odd. Good news is, it just eventually went back to normal on it’s own, so I do think the treatment does something. I also switched her food a few times because I was always switching my other Goldens due to his allergies, and I would just put her on whatever he was on, and I also thought it was the food after the vet said take her off lamb.. She did get a little better when I took her off it, but not fully. Both my dogs get diarrhea on lamb. It is very rich. And no, there was no correlation with the diarrhea and switching foods. I still switch and she has firm poops on the right food. I also agree that royal canin is junk! She actually has diarrhea right now, but I switched her to Kirkland puppy food last week. It has 4.5 stars, but I think Kirkland is junk. I was in a pinch though when I got it. I had tried every food out there because of my allergy dog. If they don’t have good poops, it’s usually the food, except in our case with the giardia, I think it is the treatment for the giardia that caused it. I like Zignature, Acana (the chicken is cheapest), TOTW is good too (I started both mine on that as pups), but I don’t believe it is the highest rated food. Nutrisca is good. It’s on Chewys. Good luck, I think it will pass with time. Ps. The panacur on amazon is very safe, the metronidazole is not. People buy the panacur as a preventative maintenance thing for their animals.
-
This reply was modified 9 years, 2 months ago by
Kristen L.
Have you made an appointment with a veterinary dermatologist? That’s where would start. Allergen specific immunotherapy is the only thing that worked for my dog with environmental allergies.
Dust mite allergies and such are environmental, airborne and present year round, shed from the skin of all living things, including you.
Have you checked the search engine here: /forums/search/allergies/
āAtopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environmentā.
āThere are two types of allergy tests, the intradermal allergy test and blood testing for allergies (serologic allergy testing). In an intradermal allergy test, the fur is clipped on one side of the chest and very small amounts of common allergens are injected into the skin. This test is very precise and is only performed by Veterinary Dermatology services. Because most pets with environmental allergies become exposed to their allergens through their skin, the intradermal allergy test may also best simulate a petās natural allergies. In a blood allergy test, a blood sample is obtained and submitted to a laboratory for testingā.
āIf a pet is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, there are three methods of therapy. The first method of therapy involves removing the allergen from the petās environmentā. āUnfortunately, this is not possible in most cases. The second method of therapy involves the use of anti-itch drugs such as anti-histamines or steroids (cortisone). Some of these anti-itch medications do not work in every pet. Other pets develop side-effects from taking certain anti-itch medicationsā.
āThe third method of therapy for atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) is allergy injections. Other names for allergy injections include desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccine, or allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections of diluted allergens. Over time, these injections make a pet less sensitive to their allergens and thus less allergic. Most pet owners are able to learn how to give the injections at home. When based on the results of intradermal allergy testing, immunotherapy helps manage the allergies in approximately 70-90% of pets. Most pets will respond to immunotherapy within 6-9 months, but some pets will require up to a year of immunotherapy injections before a full benefit can be notedā.
http://www.mspca.org/vet-services/angell-boston/dermatology/boston-dematology-allergies.html
Has anyone tried freeze-dried food and if so, did it help with storage mite allergies? I have a 2 year old lab with severe storage mite allergy. I make his food at home (potato/sweet potato, turkey and veggies), but I am frankly getting tired of doing that. It is a lot of work and I work full-time and have a family to cook for as well! I am looking for something I can buy, but I don’t want to undo the progress we have made with his dermatitis. Any feedback would be helpful.
I’ve had great luck with VeRUS Advanced Opticoat. My little rescue mutt is allergic to chicken. She used to be so itchy because of it that she’d take 3 steps, scratch, take 3 more, scratch. I contacted VeRUS looking for a good alternative to dog foods available locally. I found VeRUS on a list of dog foods that had never had a recall. Anyway, I contacted them thru the form on their website & got an email back from the VP who asked questions about my dogs. Then a few days later, I got free samples in the mail. I think I got like 4 packages that had about a cup of food in each. I’ve now been feeding VeRUS for WELL over a year. It’s great and they have multiple options.
Veruspetfoods.com scroll to the bottom & click on contact us.
UGH! My dog has been on the Canadian Six Fish for 8 years due to severe chicken allergies. I went out to my local pet stores and bought all the Canadian bags that were under the Kentucky bags!! I just signed up with Chewy today after an extensive conversation with the assistant that they get Orijen Six Fish from Canada only. She couldn’t find anything about the Kentucky plant and her manager didn’t know about the Kentucky plant. I wrote to Orijen yesterday to express my concerns and asked for delivery from Canada. Is there another reputable grain free fish based food as high a quality? http://www.DOGFOODANALYSIS.com is an excellent resource to find out quality of what you are serving your pup. Please share if anyone knows if how to get Orijen from Canada. Good luck to us all!!
The decrease in seizure activity is most likely in response to pexion and the valium (anti-epileptics). I would not stop meds unless under direction of the treating vet.
The reason the vet didn’t explore the option of food allergies causing your dog’s seizures is that based on my knowledge, that it would be extremely rare for this to be true.
The vet addressed the issues that would cause seizures in an elderly dog. “All the information and money” you gave him was so he could determine what testing to do to diagnose your dog and prescribe treatment.
It may be best to keep his diet simple, maybe even a little bland, as certain foods, preservatives and chemicals may be actual triggers.
PS: There is a lot of inaccurate information on the internet, and even if you find some helpful information, it is not specific to your dog.
Hi, I have a nearly 14 yo labradoodle who started having seizures 18 months ago. He had had random dizzy spells where he lost balance for a year before that. At first the vet told us it was vestibular disease, then later a brain tumor.
He is on Pexion for the fits and Valium to help between doses.
I have had a major break through in the last two weeks, realising first of all that chicken would bring on a seizure within twelve hours. We stopped feeding him chicken. We bought expensive dry dog food and it helped slightly. He would have bad and better days but never without ‘twitching’ as we call it.
The other day I gave him the leftover pasta noodles that had a tiny coating of bolognese sauce on them. He wolfed it down ……that night and next day NO Twitching AT ALL! Gave him BBQ beef next day and back to twitching.
We are now giving him high carb diet thinking the proteins are not being metabolised easily and it has made an incredible difference. I am wondering if I can get rid of the Pexion and will ask the vet next visit.
I have arrived at these conclusions myself by watching his reactions to these foods and only googled it this morning to find that food allergies can cause seizures. Would have loved the vet to perhaps explored this option, and am wondering what all the money and information I had given him was for!
Saliva and hair mail-in tests are not allergy tests.
“Atopic dermatitis is a hypersensitivity or over-reaction to a variety of commonplace and otherwise harmless substances in the environment such as plant pollens, house dust mites or mold spores. Most pets with atopic dermatitis either inhale or absorb their allergens through their skin. Allergy tests are used to identify what a pet is allergic to in their environment”.
“There are two types of allergy tests, the intradermal allergy test and blood testing for allergies (serologic allergy testing). In an intradermal allergy test, the fur is clipped on one side of the chest and very small amounts of common allergens are injected into the skin. This test is very precise and is only performed by Veterinary Dermatology services. Because most pets with environmental allergies become exposed to their allergens through their skin, the intradermal allergy test may also best simulate a petās natural allergies. In a blood allergy test, a blood sample is obtained and submitted to a laboratory for testing”.
“If a pet is diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, there are three methods of therapy. The first method of therapy involves removing the allergen from the petās environment”. “Unfortunately, this is not possible in most cases. The second method of therapy involves the use of anti-itch drugs such as anti-histamines or steroids (cortisone). Some of these anti-itch medications do not work in every pet. Other pets develop side-effects from taking certain anti-itch medications”.
“The third method of therapy for atopic dermatitis (environmental allergies) is allergy injections. Other names for allergy injections include desensitization, hyposensitization, allergy vaccine, or allergen-specific immunotherapy. Immunotherapy involves a series of injections of diluted allergens. Over time, these injections make a pet less sensitive to their allergens and thus less allergic. Most pet owners are able to learn how to give the injections at home. When based on the results of intradermal allergy testing, immunotherapy helps manage the allergies in approximately 70-90% of pets. Most pets will respond to immunotherapy within 6-9 months, but some pets will require up to a year of immunotherapy injections before a full benefit can be noted”.
http://www.mspca.org/vet-services/angell-boston/dermatology/boston-dematology-allergies.html
What you describe sounds like environmental allergies, food would have little impact, if any, on this condition.
I would continue to work with your veterinarian, however, for best results, I would go to a specialist, a veterinary dermatologist.
Have you tried the search engine here? This subject comes up frequently.
Example: /forums/topic/irritated-skin-food-allergy/
/forums/topic/dog-chewing-nails-till-they-bleed/
“Food allergies are rare. Food sensitivities tend to result in GI disturbances such as vomiting and diarrhea. Environmental allergies tend to show up as pruritus, ear infections and such”.
“You could try a limited ingredient grain free food. My dog does well on Nutrisca Salmon and Chickpea. Wipe down her feet with water and gently dry when she comes in from outdoors”.
“Bathe her using a gentle shampoo, I use Malaseb (see chewy dot com).
I tried all kinds of things times 1 year (including going back and forth to the veterinarian), but, did not get results till I took her to a dermatologist for testing. Allergen specific immunotherapy worked in her case”.
Unfortunately, steroids and such are often necessary (for brief periods) to stop the suffering and prevent infection.
Allergen specific immunotherapy is the most natural treatment.
Also, I have heard that some dogs do well on apoquel, you may want to consider staying with that, talk to your vet.
Pitluv
Yes maybe now from 2014 or 2015 vet diets can be feed long term now,
but before 2014 & back in 2009-2010 when my boxer was on a vet diet Hills Z/d I remember telling the vet I was seeing at the time, this Z/D can’t be feed long term but I think he knew Angie was dying & didn’t say anything….then 2012 when I rescued Patch we tried most of the Intestinal & skin allergy vet diets from 2012 to 2015 & I remember showing my new vet a small bag of the Eukanuba Intestinal that Patch was eating I got off the shelf & I showed her “Not for long term use” & she said, yes we’ll only be feeding Patch
the Eukanuba for 9 to 12 months enough time for his stomach & bowel to heal then we’ll start introducing other foods into his diet…. I wanted to change his vet diet kibble that day it was Summer & poor Patch was so itchy & stunk real bad with yeasty skin after being on the Eukanuba vet diet for 2 months…….now I’ve learnt he’s sensitive to Beet Pulp, Corn/maize, chicken, barley, vet just said his poos are going good I don’t want to rock the boat yet just start bathing him daily if you have too instead of weekly & applying the cream I prescribed (Hydrocortisone 1%) & sold me Paws Nutriderm replenishing conditioner to leave on after I bath him in the Malaseb shampoo… then I started doing my research & it took 2 yrs to find a kibble that made Patches poos firm never gave him any stomach/pancreas pain & kept his coat looking beautiful & shiny he still gets a bit itchy from environment allergies that can’t be helped, it’s only thru the Summer/Autumn months, we can cope with that he’s not like he was when on the vet diet…”Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb is what works for Patch & I remember coming on this site DFA & people knocking all Diamond made foods, saying its real bad etc so I never tried the Taste Of The Wild & wasted 1 yr trying other kibbles… The TOTW has better quality control now then most kibbles on the market…
Food Safety
When a new batch is made 1 bag of kibble is taken off every pallet the bag is cut open & the kibble is tested…also they use purified water & TOTW is the only kibble I have never had any problems with & Patch has a very sensitive stomach when it comes to off rotten
potatoes & veggies or off meats, he gets diarrhea very easy, the ingredients have been
changed for the Australian market we don’t have the fish oil which I prefer less change the kibbles oxidizing & going rancid as soon as the bag is opened from the oxygen, we have Canola oil instead & 1 formula the Pacific Stream has no peas for all the dogs with EPI & IBD, we contacted Diamond & begged them to not change the Australian & Europeon made Pacific Stream & add the Garbanzo beans cause these sick dogs probably wont cope & could get real bad diarrhea again like what is happening in the UK where the Pacific Stream just had been changed & garbanzo beans where add….& a few dogs are having bad diarrhea… & TOTW listened & didn’t add the Garbanzo Beans, it made a lot of people happy…Patches vet rung me & asked is Patch OK I haven’t seen you both in 6months, I said yes Patch is finally off the vet diet & eating TOTW & doing really well…
Since 2013 Hills & Royal Canin vet diets have changed their packaging & ingredients 2-3
times now & in August 2016 Hills improved their Z/D & I/D Digestive Care formulas
& wrote in small writing “New Formula” but never notified vets, I’d say Hills did this cause Purina Pro Plan had just released their new Pro Plan Vet Diets in Australia their Hydrolyzed HA & EN Gastroenteric & another 2 vet formulas so Hills had some competition these Vet Diets are lower in fat I only know all this is cause I had contacted Purina in America the year before when I couldn’t find Patch a food for his stomach & skin low enough in fat & told Purina we do not have any Vet Diets for the skin & stomach that are lower then 15% in fat… but I was very disappointed with the ingredients some of Purina vet formulas are worse then Hills formulas, the Purina HA uses Corn Oil Patch cant have corn I told Purina lady she said this might get changed if dogs are reacting to the corn oil then the Purina lady said don’t forget its money back guaranteed you just try it & see so if Patch has another bad stomach & pancreas episode again I’m going to either try the Pro Plan OptiDigest-Sensitive Digestion or the OptiRestore-Sensitive Skin & Stomach or i’ll try Purina HA Vet Diet but when I spoke with the Purina lady she said the Vet Diets might be better for Patches IBD they have better quality control then the Pro Plan normal formulas….
The people in America that are feeding the Pro Plan formulas not the Pro Plan Vet Diets, should email Purina & ask can the American Pro Plan Formulas be improved like the Australian Pro Plan Formulas have been improved, Purina might listen if they get enough people asking..These are our Pro Plan Opti formulas the ingredients are a bit better…. https://proplannutrition.com.au/dog/products/optirestore
Needing help finding non-toxic ingredient foods.
I am looking for a very specific content food: NO denatured meats AT ALL, no lamb (allergic) no pitToes (toxins) or peas (allergic). I am feeding a pack of four and would like to keep price under $100 for 23-25 pound bag of kibble. Desperate for reliable input.
Hi Paul,
as we get older we don’t make as much hydrochloric acid to digest our food & its harder to digest food so the food sits in our stomach, Google “Hypochlorhydria” is low stomach acid
it may just be a coincidence the glucosamine has cause this, I prefer to give my 8yrs old Omega 3 supplements or feed foods high in omega 3 fatty acid for his joints, skin etc, I’ve been very lucky with Patch he doesn’t have any joint problems yet, he is walked 3 times a day cause I live in a unit & he’s kept lean…but my boy does have IBD mainly stomach problems & skin allergies & was vomiting undigested food a year ago, I had to make his gut strong & healthy. Dog probiotic like Purina Fortiflora is good, they tested 10 dog probiotics & found only 3 of them had live cultures & Purina Fortiflora was voted number 1, I give Yukalt it’s a probiotic drink in the fridge section at supermarket, I drink 1/2 & Patch gets the other 1/2 there’s 5 small pink drinks, he has stoped his vomiting & eating grass every morning, so the Yakult drinks have probably fixed his bacteria in his gut & bowel & made it healthy again..
https://www.chewy.com/purina-pro-plan-veterinary-diets/dp/50000
I feed lean white meats, I buy lean pork grounded mince 1kg (2lb), add 1 whisk egg, a few chopped up small broccoli heads broken off the broccoli, 1 teaspoon chopped up parsley, some kale chopped up just 1 leaf, or you can use 1 spinach leaf or another veggie, I was grating 1 small carrot, I suppose start with less is best then the next batch of rissoles add another finally chopped up veggie….. mix all together & make 1 cup size rissole, (it makes about 8-9 x 1 cup size rissoles) & bake in oven on a foiled covered baking tray, when they’re 1/2 cooked take out tray of rissole & drain any excess water & fat there’s normally hardly any fat, then turn over the rissoles & bake, don’t over cook the rissoles as soon as there’s no blood they’re ready, I also peel & cut up sweet potato & boil, I do not boil rice, rice ferments in the stomach, it’s no good, the new thing is to cook either potato or sweet potato…. Hamburger mince is very high in fat it’s not recommended anymore…. I also boil some pumkin & freeze you can also freeze the rissoles, I only add about 1/3 to 1/2 a cup of sweet potatoes or potatoes & a small piece of pumkin to 1 rissole, mix altogether & cut up rissole finally so it’s easier to digest…
Do not give a raw feed dog any dry kibble, kibble is harder to digest even when water is added, vet hasn’t prescribe any kibble, fed a wet tin food if vet advises a vet prescription diet…but a cooked diet is heaps better then any vet diets….cook foods that are easy to digest & white lean meats for now, beef is a stronger more rich meat like Kangaroo, I didn’t know this lol poor Patch he loved his beef & kangaroo rissole but his stomach didn’t it came back up undigested…
also cook some home made healthy doggy treat biscuits there’s a few recipes online… I have a few if needed.. he may need a 10 day course of Metronidazole it’s an antibiotic for stomach & bowel.. also feed 3-4 smaller meals a day.
Hi Leslie,
Sorry to read your pup is having so many issues with new food. Sad to hear breeders are breeding dogs with food allergies.
You may need to embark (which it sounds like you are) on an elimination diet.
Probably visit a vet to ensure nothing else is at play with your pup
Hi Jeannine-
Osteosarcoma can have a genetic link and pediatric spay and neuter can also increase the risk of Osteosarcoma. It’s unlikely that food played any role in the diagnosis.
When your vet suggested “an allergy” could be the cause of the pink ears, did she make mention of what kind of allergy it could be? Food allergies are not common, especially not in a dog so young.
As much as I like Fromm I do hear an overwhelming amount of complaints about loose stool on it. I would choose a food for a growing large breed puppy based on the guidelines of WSAVA. http://www.wsava.org/sites/default/files/Recommendations%20on%20Selecting%20Pet%20Foods.pdf
Most diets from companies that meet these standards will have an appropriate large breed puppy food.
Hi Michelle, I have a Shepherd mix with skin problems, and 2 other dogs who are not affected with allergies. My dog started having her skin problems at 2-years old. Two weeks ago I didn’t make it on time to Petco before it closed to buy my dogs’ their dry kibble so I was forced to go to Target and pick out what I thought would suffice until the next day. I was not surprised to find that some of the lower rated dry dog foods were actually “catching up” with the highly rated dog food brands with their farm fresh natural ingredients, grain free (not for my dogs though), etc. and Made in the USA! It was a toss up between Purina’s Beyond and Rachel Ray’s Nutrish dog food… I chose Rachel. The ingredients were good and the majority of her dog food has over 1,000 5-star reviews on Target’s website alone. The best part is two of my “picky” dog eaters (Shih Tzu and Beagle) are now willing to eat without wet food mixed into their kibble. I have always fed my dog’s 5-star dog foods and have tried practically every brand throughout the years… hoping Rachel Ray Nutrish is a keeper. You may also want to consider taking your dog to your vet for an exam and if necessary, a skin scrape test and/or a blood test for fungal/bacterial infection. It could be as simple as the flea control you’re using or it could be environmental. There are low cost veterinary clinics that will not up sell you. My shepherd unfortunately suffers from serious skin allergies in the Spring and Fall so we have to pay a visit to the vet twice a year to try and stay on top of her allergies to control her skin from getting worse. The vet prescribed Simplicef (generic brand is Cephalexin) and she has to have frequent baths with medicated shampoo (about $11 from the vet). I hope your dog’s allergies are not as serious as my dog’s and wish you the best of luck.
Hi, stop feeding the Pedigree, it sounds like its up setting his stomach & he’s reacting badly to ingredients, having bad skin & his stomach problems, he cant eat it.. He probably has food sensitivities they have stomach/bowel problems & their skin itches, smells yeasty, red paws, itchy ears, some will rub bum on carpet, floor & grass… My boy has IBD (stomach) & food sensitivities & skin Allergies, look at foods that have limited ingredients & NO LENTILS OR CHICKPEAS these are harder to digest… Can you cook a lean meal boiled potatoes & a lean white meat or afford wet tin food or a raw diet?? When I rescued my boy I think he wasn’t feed kibble & was feed either a cooked diet, wet tin food or a raw diet, cause he would just look at the bowl of kibble & wouldn’t eat it, he preferred the wet & cooked food, then my nightmare began with his IBD (food sensitivities), vomiting, acid reflux, sloppy poos, up early hours of the morning with his bowel making loud noises, itchy skin, rubbing bum on my carpet, red paws that he licked & licked…all this just cause he was sensitive to something he was eating, I couldn’t believe it, I have never owned a dog like this all my pets could eat anything & were feed Pedigree & Purina until I learnt they’re are awful foods with bad ingredients….The Vet put him on Royal Canine Hypoallergenic HP till I worked out what I was going to do, the Royal Canine helped his skin stop itching but not his sloppy poo & vet gave me “Malaseb” medicated shampoo said to bath daily if needed or do the weekly baths…..you might need something stronger then the oatmeal shampoo your using & do weekly baths. Look for shampoos that are Anti Fungal shampoos like the Malaseb medicated shampoo, I’m pretty sure I read that Walmart sells a Anti-Fungal shampoo that’s like Malaseb…. Can you afford to feed a lean raw balanced diet or feed raw for breakfast & a kibble with limited ingredients for dinner? A Balanced Raw Diet is the best to feed a dog with food & skin sensitivities..
Finally I found *”Taste Of The Wild” Sierra Mountain Roasted Lamb, 30lb bag for $49 thru Chewy, it worked the best for my boy, it’s Lamb, sweet potatoes & peas & it has limited ingredients..
* “Sportmix Wholesome” Grain free or grain a 40lb bag $$29-$34
*”California Natural” Lamb Meal & Rice it has just 3 ingredients.
*”Pro Pac Ultimates” there’s their grain free or grain a 28lb bag is around $29-$35
*”Holistic Select” Adult/Puppy Salmon, Anchovy & Sardines Grain Free it’s Fish & Potato $54 & its for Digestive health & their skin as well, Holistic Select is high in Omega 3 fatty acids what’s needed for the skin..
Look for kibbles with Lamb & Rice or Fish & rice, or Lamb & Sweet Potatoes or Fish & Sweet Potato NO chicken for now till you work out what he can eat, theres also
*”Canidae” Pure Formulas that’s are limited ingredient the Pure Sea or Pure Wild or look at the Canidae Life Stages formulas the All Life Stages has their 44lb bag for $54….
make sure you read ingredient list, most kibbles are money back guaranteed that’s why I like going to Pet Shops so I can take back the kibble & I say he wont eat it, when I say he scratches or vomits it becomes too complicated. Holistic Select covers every health problem & refunds money but it depends on the Pet Shop, so I always send the kibble company an email telling them what’s happening with my boy & is your kibble refundable then when I go to the Pet Shop or online Pet Shop & I show them the email or say they said it’s money back, I’ve tried nilly every kibble in Australia & taken back so many kibbles…
Look at the Fat% look for around 10-15% max in fat & 24% to 29% Protein he probably wont do well on a high fat over 15% & a high protein diets over 30%….. then later after he’s doing good look for another kibble & rotate between them..
2 months, 1 week ago
